38 feeding problems in Marlin

[awaveritt]

My 1894 Marlin is reliably feeding a commercially cast 150gr RNFP in 357 cases but hangs up with the same boolit in 38 cases. It does reliably cycle LRN's in 38 with no problem.

Before I go and buy the Lee 158gr RNFP I'd like to get this kink worked out. Otherwise, I'm stuck using LRN's in 38 and saving the RNFP for 357. Any thoughts on how to diagnose this problem.

[Landric]

I don't have any direct experience with the Marlin 1894 357, but my understanding is that they are sensitive to the OAL of the loaded round. Try seating the bullets out to 357 length, or close to it, and see if the feeding problems improve.

[Calamity Jake]

My 1894 Marlin is reliably feeding a commercially cast 150gr RNFP in 357 cases but hangs up with the same boolit in 38 cases. It does reliably cycle LRN's in 38 with no problem.

Before I go and buy the Lee 158gr RNFP I'd like to get this kink worked out. Otherwise, I'm stuck using LRN's in 38 and saving the RNFP for 357. Any thoughts on how to diagnose this problem.

Yap, forget the 38sp cases, problem solved + there's no second carbon ring to clean out of the chamber.

[runfiverun]

or seat the boolit to the same oal as the 357 cases.

[awaveritt]

or seat the boolit to the same oal as the 357 cases.

I should have mentioned that I don't yet own a 357 revolver, just the carbine. But I do load for several 38 Special revolvers so I was hoping to make the RNFP work in the 38 for the carbine, so I can shoot the same ammo in both.

I'm just puzzled as to why the rifle doesn't like the same boolit in a .38 case. The OAL is within the specs quoted in the Marlin manual.

[Bula]

My newer production 1894C shoots almost everything just fine. That 158 rnfp is a good shooter from .38 spec brass. Heck, mine even feeds full 148 gr wadcutters. The only thing it's not good at cycling, the longer nosed 358429 in .357 brass.

[EDK]

lasc.us. Glenn Fryxell's article on 1894 MARLINS.

I'd tinker with the over all length of your reloads. Also check your crimp...you might need to increase the crimp if the case mouth is catching on something while cycling the gun. A taper crimp is another option. I use the LYMAN 358665 and NOE 360 180 WFN...but 358156 is a classic and 357446 alsoworks well in my rifles. A big piece of reloading is tinkering!

:Fire::cbpour::cbpour::redneck:

[ReloaderFred]

My wife and I both shoot Marlin 1894C's in Cowboy Action, and put literally thousands of rounds of .38 Special ammunition downrange through them yearly.

Your problem is caused by the overall length of the loaded .38 Special round. Load them to at least 1.480" OAL, and I'll bet your problem will go away.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[duckndawg]

i load mine in 38 special cases to 1.500" and it runs smoothly.